12 Football Rules Fans Swear They Know, But Often Get Wrong
Football may look simple from the stands, but some of its laws can leave even regular supporters scratching their heads.
Offside calls, handball decisions, penalty incidents and VAR reviews frequently trigger arguments among fans, players and coaches, with many relying on long-held beliefs rather than what the Laws of the Game actually state.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s law-making body, regularly reviews and updates the rules, but several common misconceptions continue to survive.
Here are 12 football rules many fans still get wrong.
1. Offside is not simply being ahead of the last defender
A player is not automatically offside because they are beyond the last defender.
The law considers the position of the second-last opponent, who is usually the last outfield defender. The goalkeeper may not always be the last player back.
More importantly, being in an offside position is not itself an offence. The player must become involved in active play by receiving the ball, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage from that position.
2. Not every handball is an offence
A ball hitting a player’s hand or arm does not automatically result in a free-kick or penalty.
The referee considers the circumstances, including the position of the arm, whether the player made their body unnaturally bigger and whether there was movement towards the ball.
Accidental contact alone does not necessarily mean a handball offence has occurred.
3. A penalty does not automatically mean a yellow or red card
A foul inside the penalty area does not always require the referee to show a card.
The punishment depends on the nature of the offence. A foul may result in a penalty alone, while a reckless challenge can bring a yellow card and serious foul play may warrant a red card.
4. Goalkeepers cannot handle every pass from a teammate
Goalkeepers cannot simply pick up a ball deliberately kicked to them by a teammate.
However, they can handle a deliberate pass made with the head, chest or thigh, provided the player is not deliberately using a trick to get around the back-pass rule.
5. Playing advantage does not erase the foul
When a referee allows play to continue after a foul because the affected team has gained an advantage, the original offence has not disappeared.
The referee can still take disciplinary action at the next stoppage when the offence requires a caution or sending-off.
6. A player can be sent off before kick-off
A red card is not limited to incidents that happen after the match has started.
Players and team officials can be disciplined for certain misconduct before kick-off. If a named player is sent off before the match begins, they cannot take part, although an eligible substitute can replace them.
7. The ball does not have to leave the penalty area at a goal kick
Many fans still remember the old goal-kick rule, when the ball had to leave the penalty area before another player could touch it.
That changed in 2019. The ball is now in play as soon as it is kicked and clearly moves, allowing teams to play short passes from inside the penalty area.
8. Encroachment at a penalty does not automatically mean a retake
A player entering the penalty area before a penalty is taken does not automatically force the kick to be retaken.
Officials consider who encroached, whether the encroachment affected what happened and whether the goalkeeper or penalty taker also committed an offence.
The outcome therefore depends on the circumstances of the incident.
9. Coaches can receive yellow and red cards
Players are not the only people who can be shown disciplinary cards.
Managers, coaches and other team officials can receive yellow or red cards for misconduct, dissent or irresponsible behaviour, including incidents in the technical area.
10. VAR does not review every decision
VAR is not there to examine every incident during a match.
Its intervention is limited mainly to four categories: goals and offences leading to goals, penalty decisions, direct red-card incidents and cases of mistaken identity.
Routine fouls, throw-ins and corner decisions generally remain the referee’s responsibility unless they are connected to a reviewable incident.
11. Goalkeepers can now be punished for holding the ball too long
The familiar six-second rule is no longer the whole story.
Under the current Laws of the Game, a goalkeeper who controls the ball with their hands or arms for more than eight seconds can concede a corner kick to the opposing team.
The referee is expected to give a visible five-second countdown before the eight-second limit expires.
The change is aimed at tackling deliberate time-wasting and preventing goalkeepers from unnecessarily slowing down matches.
12. You cannot score directly from a throw-in
A player cannot score directly from a throw-in, even if the ball travels straight into the opponent’s goal.
If it enters the opponents’ goal directly, the restart is a goal kick. If the ball goes straight into the thrower’s own goal, the opposing team is awarded a corner.
There are also specific requirements for taking a throw-in. The player must face the field, use both hands and deliver the ball from behind and over the head.
Football’s laws can be complicated, but knowing the details can make some of the game’s most controversial moments easier to understand.
The next time a referee makes a decision that sends an entire stadium into an argument, the answer may already be hiding in the Laws of the Game.
